I'll Be There
by zelda49
Summary: CBPC April [HA] Spoilers for 'Aliens in a Spaceship'. Angela promised Jack that when he woke up, she'd be there.


A/N: Another Challenge entry for you this month--"Little Moments", my personal favorite so far. This one is a "little moment" between Hodgins and Angela after "Aliens in a Spaceship", and so has spoilers for that episode.

Enjoy :-)

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"_I can't sleep. I'm afraid that when I wake up, I'll be right back in that car again…"  
"Then you're coming home with me. And when you wake up, I'll be there."_

His waking fears had translated into a restless night's sleep for Jack. Plagued by nightmares, he tried to escape the Gravedigger again and again in his mind, seeing himself trapped inside Dr. Brennan's car, running out of air. With each nightmare, the situation became more desperate, with greater obstacles to overcome and the chances of his survival dwindling rapidly.

The last one, though, was the worst. In his dream he was looking at Dr. Brennan, watching her choke to death on the carbon dioxide that filled the car, unable to do anything about it. She was gasping for air, turning blue for lack of oxygen in the most horrific exaggeration of a suffocation his mind could conceive. Her face contorted into a ghastly expression, the last moments of her life unbearably painful. Then, nothing. She slumped over and everything stopped. He leaned over to get a better look at her, feeling for a pulse, checking her breathing, frantically hoping against hope that she was still alive. But she wasn't, and he knew he was next.

"No!" he yelled, jolting upright in bed.

The movement awakened Angela lying beside him and she rolled over, blinking her eyes open to see what was going on. Jack had drawn his knees up as close to his chest as his injuries would allow and buried his face in his arms atop them, shaking like an aspen leaf in a hurricane.

She quickly sat up and slid an arm around his back, noting that his t-shirt was soaked with sweat. "Hey," she soothed softly. "Hey, it's okay."

His breathing was raspy and panicked, and there were tears in his eyes when he lifted his face. "She died this time…" he said hoarsely. "We didn't make it out and she died…"

Her fingers combed through his damp hair, pulling him closer to her as she wrapped her other arm around him. Holding him as tightly as she dared, she continued to speak gently to him. "It was just a dream, Jack," she told him, "just a dream. You're right here with me."

He rested his head against her shoulder, allowing her to comfort him, trying to let go of the terror. "It was just…so awful…so _real_," he whispered in a strangled voice.

"But it's over now," she said, brushing away the tears that had spilled down his cheeks. "You're safe."

He took in a few more ragged breaths, trying to steady himself. Grasping her hand in his, he clutched it to his chest as though it was the one thing in the world that could save him, his one link to reality where the nightmares couldn't reach. She held him tighter in her arms in response, stroking his hair, trying to impart reassurance through her touch.

They sat together for what seemed like hours before Jack composed himself enough to speak again. He sniffled and managed a small chuckle. "I finally get into your bed, and I end up having a panic attack. Not exactly what I had hoped for."

"Well, wait 'til next time," she smirked. "You'll be sweating and breathing hard, but for an entirely different reason."

He laughed at that. "I'm afraid it's going to be a while before that happens though," he reminded her, gesturing to his mangled legs.

She guided him back down the bed, cuddling up to him with a mischievous smile. "Oh don't worry," she replied. "It'll be worth the wait."

His arm found its way around her and he drew her closer, allowing himself a moment to picture that scene. "I have no doubt it will," he grinned.

Within a few minutes, he heard Angela's breathing slow and knew she was asleep. He frowned, knowing, too, what was waiting for him in the land of dreams. The fear began to creep back into his mind, to invade his very soul and take possession of every part of him. But before the terror took total control, Angela's hand came to rest on his chest and contented sigh escaped her lips. Jack smiled softly, taking her hand in his again and squeezing it, calmed by her unconscious gesture. No matter what happened in he dreams, she would be there when he woke up, just like she had promised.

With that knowledge firmly imbedded in his mind, he allowed his eyes to close, pushing the apprehension away with thoughts of the woman curled up beside him. The fear, the terror, the nightmares wouldn't leave him until the Gravedigger was captured, but until then he had someone to help him through the bad times. And when things got better, he would shower her with all the love and appreciation she deserved.

_Just wait 'til next time…_


End file.
